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Ben Markley

Ben Markley, a jazz pianist, has performed with Brian Lynch, Greg Osby, Eddie Henderson, Terell Stafford, George Garzone, and John Fedchock. Markley's latest recording project is Clockwise: The Music of Cedar Walton (OA2 records). Markley, along with special guest trumpeter Terell Stafford, celebrates one of the more influential and beloved figures in jazz through this unique project, showcasing many of the late pianist and composer Cedar Walton's most revered tunes through new arrangements for big band. Performing iconic compositions such as 'Hindsight,' 'Bolivia,' and 'Holy Land,' Markley brings together fellow faculty members from the University of Wyoming and top-flight Denver-area musicians to produce an honest and swinging recording that honors Cedar Walton while presenting his music in a bright new light.

Markley is active as a composer and arranger with many big band and vocal jazz charts published through UNC Jazz Press. Recent arranging commissions include the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia and Wyoming Jazz Educators All-State Jazz Band. Compositions from Markleyʼs first two albums have earned him ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Awards. Markley was selected to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program held at the Kennedy Center.

Markley’s book A Practical Approach to Improvisation - The David Hazeltine Method was published by Jamey Aebersold Jazz in December of 2014. It documents David Hazeltine’s process of creating etudes from transcriptions.

Markley is an active performer in the Denver-metropolitan area and along the front range. He can be seen regularly at in Ft. Collins as part of the Subterranean jazz trio at Ace Gillett's Lounge.

Markley currently serves as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Wyoming where he directs and coaches the Wyoming Jazz Ensemble, Western Blue (vocal jazz), and combos. He also teaches applied jazz piano, improvisation and is the director of the UW Jazz Festival.

Awards

2009 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency Program
2009 Ascap Young Jazz Composers Award
2008 Ascap Young Jazz Composers Award


Tags

Album Review

Ben Markley: Ari's Funhouse

Read "Ari's Funhouse" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Accade spesso nel jazz che dagli incontri estemporanei nascano le cose migliori. Il bandleader e arrangiatore Ben Markley e il batterista Ari Hoenig si sono conosciuti nel 2019 in un jazz festival del Texas. Da quell'incontro è nato questo progetto discografico, che ha visto Markley orchestrare le composizioni di Hoenig per la big band che guida a Denver. Il batterista è ospite dell'ensemble e dà il suo contributo con un vivace e articolato sostegno ritmico. L'album è stato registrato nel ...

36
Album Review

Wil Swindler: Space Bugs

Read "Space Bugs" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Space Bugs is essentially multi-layered yet readily accessible chamber jazz admirably performed by saxophonist/composer Wil Swindler's Colorado-based Eleventet—a finely woven banquet for the ears that was handsomely recorded in May 2022 before an appreciative audience at Denver's Mighty Fine Productions. Gil Evans springs to mind when listening, as do Pete Rugolo and late- career Bob Brookmeyer. As a composer, Swindler writes that he has “always been between worlds," loving “the pristine intervals and warm timbres of orchestral ...

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Album Review

Ben Markley Big Band: Ari's Funhouse

Read "Ari's Funhouse" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Ari's Funhouse, recorded in July 2021, sprang from a chance encounter at a Texas jazz festival in 2019 between New York-based drummer & composer Ari Hoenig and Denver-based pianist & arranger Ben Markley. After performing with Hoenig in a small group, Markley asked if he might score some of Hoenig's songs for a big band. Hoenig readily agreed, and after a lengthy Covid-induced pause, he and Markley's band finally met face-to-face in Denver to record the album. Two things are ...

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Album Review

Andy Wheelock: View from Here

Read "View from Here" reviewed by Jack Bowers


When high-caliber musicians invest time and effort to produce music they believe in, one is loath to dismiss it as anything less than persuasive. On the other hand, any assessment of Colorado-based drummer Andy Wheelock's album, View from Here, must be tempered by an awareness that this is his special view, and that of his group, and that the overall result may not be embraced with equal fervor by every ear. That is one way of saying ...

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Album Review

Dan Jonas: The Spirituality Suite

Read "The Spirituality Suite" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Utah-based trumpeter Dan Jonas says The Spirituality Suite was written as a response to his own struggles with spirituality in the twenty-first century. The music is thus largely conceptual, or as Jonas explains it, “Much of the inspiration . . . lies in the musical interval of a perfect fourth. The interval can be either consonant or dissonant, where the context in which it appears is the determining factor. Additionally, on one side lies a major third, one of the ...

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Album Review

Ben Markley Quartet: Slow Play

Read "Slow Play" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The jacket cover on this splendid new studio recording from OA2 Records reads “Ben Markley Quartet Featuring Joel Frahm," and for good reason: the New York City-based saxophonist lends considerable improvisational weight to Slow Play, which would be a far different animal without him. That's not to say that pianist Markley, bassist Marty Kenney and drummer Jim White couldn't succeed or even prosper without him, only that Frahm's strong and persuasive voice is so inseparable a part of the package ...

3
Album Review

Ben Markley: Slow Play

Read "Slow Play" reviewed by Paul Rauch


Pianist/composer Ben Markley has shown deft touch in hand picking projects that express the broad range of his relationship with the music. Since 2017 he has produced a rousing big band tribute to Cedar Walton, and a slick quartet record with saxophonist Greg Osby. Clockwise: The Music of Cedar Walton (OA2, 2017) featured Markley's insightful arrangements of the beloved pianist's tunes, utilizing fellow faculty members at the University of Wyoming, and players from the vibrant jazz scene in Denver. Basic ...

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Recording

Ben Markley Quartet Featuring Joel Frahm - Hot New Release September 16th - Slow Play!

Ben Markley Quartet Featuring Joel Frahm - Hot New Release September 16th - Slow Play!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Ben Markley Quartet featuring Joel Frahm Slow Play: Release Date September 16th Label: OA2 Records Slow Play is a compilation of music I wrote with the band of Joel Frahm, Jim White, and Marty Kenney in mind. I've had a chance to work with Jim and Marty over the last 10 years in various settings and it's always been a blast. I met Joel a little over two years ago and asked him to do a ...

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Recording

Ben Markley Big Band--Downbeat Editors' Pick & 4.5 Star Review All About Jazz--at Dazzle Jazz in Denver on March 25

Ben Markley Big Band--Downbeat Editors' Pick & 4.5 Star Review All About Jazz--at Dazzle Jazz in Denver on March 25

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Ben Markley Big Band Clockwise: The Music of Cedar Walton featuring Terell Stafford Radio Interviews, National Airplay Confirm Your Interview Today! “Ben has found a way to embrace the music of Cedar Walton and transform it into stellar big band arrangements that express his voice, sound and musical genius."—Terell Stafford Upcoming Performances March 24: University of Wyoming Jazz Festival March 25: Dazzle Jazz Club, Denver Read Jack Bowers' review in All About Jazz WPKN interview with jazz host ...

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Recording

Ben Markley Big Band - "Clockwise: The Music Of Cedar Walton" Featuring Terell Stafford - Release Date: February 17

Ben Markley Big Band - "Clockwise: The Music Of Cedar Walton"  Featuring Terell Stafford - Release Date: February 17

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Pianist Ben Markley, along with special guest trumpeter Terell Stafford, celebrates one of the more influential and beloved figures in jazz through this unique project, showcasing many of the late pianist and composer Cedar Walton's most revered tunes through new arrangements for big band. Performing iconic compositions such as “Hindsight," “Bolivia," and “Holy Land," Markley brings together fellow faculty members from the University of Wyoming and top-flight jny: Denver-area musicians to produce an honest and swinging recording that honors Cedar ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Ari's Funhouse

OA2 Records
2022

buy

Space Bugs

OA2 Records
2022

buy

View from Here

Self Produced
2021

buy

Slow Play

OA2 Records
2019

buy

The Spirituality Suite

Self Produced
2019

buy

Basic Economy

OA2 Records
2018

buy

Passage

From: Space Bugs
By Ben Markley

Birdless

From: Ari's Funhouse
By Ben Markley

FTG

From: Basic Economy
By Ben Markley

Bolivia

From: Clockwise: The Music Of Cedar...
By Ben Markley

Two To Go

From: Second Introduction
By Ben Markley

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